La Hougue Bie

La Hougue Bie is a mound with a Neolithic passage grave at its heart, built around 3500 BC and counted among the finest in western Europe. Its low stone corridor runs to a chamber that the rising sun reaches at the equinoxes. In the Middle Ages chapels were built on top of the mound, and the site museum holds the island's archaeology, including the Grouville hoard of some 70,000 Celtic coins buried about two thousand years ago. Visitors go through the passage in turn, and the equinox mornings draw small crowds.

What's there

• The passage chamber - a stooped walk into a chamber of about 3500 BC.
• The equinox alignment - sunrise reaching the chamber at the equinoxes.
• The chapels - medieval chapels on top of the mound.
• The Grouville hoard - some 70,000 Celtic coins in the museum.

When to go

March and September equinoxes for the alignment mornings (book the limited places); April to October for full opening otherwise. Dry days are more comfortable in the chamber.

Things to know

The passage is genuinely low and narrow - bad backs and claustrophobia should weigh it; entry runs in small accompanied groups. The site is compact - pair with the east's castles and bays.

Nearby

Mont Orgueil, Grouville's bay and St Helier.

Key facts